Worsley Dale Garden Railway

[mick]

I'm hoping the 4 sets of points I recently ordered will be delivered today - they're in the post so it's in the hands of Royal Mail. If they come I can get cracking on the track inside the shed and work out the best layout for my requirements. I don't want to make anything too complicated or try to squeeze too much in so that it all feels compressed. Preserved railways often use the through roads as storage roads so just a couple of additional sidings should suffice especially when you consider that there will also be a smaller terminus station along the other side of the shed.

After the dismal day a couple of days back when I almost questioned what I was doing, yesterday's short running/testing session was refreshing. I must have run a dozen or so different locos and apart from the one that refused to move they all performed really well and sounded excellent. Some of the best sounding loco's are the Sulzer engines of which I have examples of classes 24,25 and 26. The class 26 is a relatively new acquisition and has been recently fitted with a sound chip that sounds immense. I'd never looked at this class of loco before as they're not something that was normally seen around my part of West/North Yorkshire but a recent online sale tempted me to obtain one and I was so pleased with it that I got a further two in different liveries. They'll give good service on Worsley Dale.

After seeing IanRs method of storing rolling stock in plastic storage boxes I've got a few myself so that I can sort out my coaches into running rakes. I just need to devise a method of keeping the models separated when they're packed away so that I can carry the boxes outdoors when required without fear of them getting damaged against each other. I have some foam that looks ideal but I'll need some more if it proves to be suitable.

[mick]

I'm indoors for an enforced break. It's midday on a Bank Holiday weekend in August, we're in the middle of a thunderstorm, and the amount of rain we've had today now exceeds the figure for the current temperature. I wonder what people think when they come across a UK orientated website dedicated to garden railways?

I'm pleased to say my points have arrived so I've been in the shed laying them out and trying to decide how best to fit everything together. Even a 12 feet long shed doesn't leave you with a great deal of room to play with when you have to make provision for a few sets of points. Eight coaches should fit comfortably however and as the layout intended for the opposite side of the shed can take a maximum of 6 coaches there's no point trying to exceed that. As I said before, I don't want to squeeze too much in but I do want to try add storage space for a couple of additional coach rakes and perhaps a few wagons. If the rain eases I'll try again.

[traingeekboy]

I read your comments the other day, but have been too busy to sit and respond. Yes, this week has been a slow one on the forum.

I like the size of that layout Mick. What no branch line with a bridge over the pond?

Good to know about the test running. It is very important to "test" the track and trains.

I see from pictures that your lines won't be double the whole way around. Although it will require attention to keep two trains running, it should also add some fun to running. How long are your double track sections? i think you may get tempted to run a second line along the outside of the shed at a later time so you get two ovals.

Yeah the limits of sidings make you limit how long your trains are. Then again I you always end up seeing how many coaches and locos you can put on one train. The first time I did this i must have been 6 years old. i've done it ever since on every layout I've owned.

[mick]

 

traingeekboy said:

...I see from pictures that your lines won't be double the whole way around. Although it will require attention to keep two trains running, it should also add some fun to running. How long are your double track sections? i think you may get tempted to run a second line along the outside of the shed at a later time so you get two ovals...

The trackplan illustration is only a basic outline and doesn't show which sections are single track or which are double. I drew it up quickly just so you could get an idea of how it fits in with the garden in general. However, I have been considering the single track/double track options today and I'm considering much of the remainder being single track. To the left of the weather station and running down the left side of the garden, will be an outside station/halt. Nothing grand, perhaps just a small waiting room or shelter serving the double tracks that run from just after the viaduct up to this point. From this outside station/halt the tracks will become single and run along the bottom of the garden, round the plastic shed and into the rear of the railway shed. There will be the opportunity to let a single train circulate continuously but running more than a single train will require operator attention. The double track section from the outside station around to the viaduct will become a passing point as will the main inside station which will have two through roads.

I'm not sure how long the double track section will be - I'll need to go outside with a tape measure

The inside terminus station will need constant operator attention as a train departing from there cannot run directly back. All movements from the terminus will have to go round the garden, over the viaduct, and arrive at the main indoor station where the train either reverses if it's a multiple unit or will have to have the locomotive detached and placed back on the other end of the train for it's return journey. It's all operational interest and I have no plans to add anything else or any other lines just yet.

I've made steady progress today and by 'steady' I mean 'rather slow'. Much of the time has been spent thinking and trying out ideas. In the end I've decided on much the same plan as I had originally considered but I'll wait until I have some photos rather than trying to describe it. I've got three points wired and in position but not yet connected to the power bus or point motor. In fact I did spend quite some time earlier trying to locate my point motors and switches which have been packed away since we arrived here. It's all coming back together now.

[traingeekboy]

Well, slow steady progress, or fiddling around with my trains as I call it, is actually really good and fun. it's much better than no progress at all. And the occasional pic for the rest of us never hurts either.

[doublecee]

 

mick said:

Hmmmh, after a few weeks of lively activity it all seems to have gone very quiet on the forum again. Is everyone gearing up for the bank holiday?

I've been away on a new film. Back late last nite to see a few locos waiting for me, a new Morley controller and a lovely 9f from John at YouChoos. Plan was to have a play but rain stopped play. So decided to have a look at the eBay locos. All poor runners. But I love Palitoy Mainline. So I set up the rolling road and stripped them all down. The computators were so bad, but track magic saved the day (again). Put them all back and they run so well now. Smooth and quiet (ish).

Looks like rain on Monday so looks like tomorrow is the only clear running day.

[mick]

 

doublecee said:

...I've been away on a new film...

Apology accepted Craig - just don't make it too often!

Funnily enough a lively and active forum does tend to give me more incentive to get something done. It's as if others are expecting something from you and so you do your best to give them what they want to see. And of course, seeing how others are progressing gives you the urge to do something similar yourself so it's a good situation to be in. Having said that, there is of course no pressure for anyone to post anything - please don't feel obliged to. It's not mandatory - just enjoy the forum the way you want to.

Today I hope to be making more progress with the main station in the shed. If I can get the approach junction completed I will be a very happy bunny.

[SouthernTom]

Looking great Mick, i'm amazed at how much work you have done in the last few months! i think you have chosen very wisely to go with operational intrest rather than 2 continues mainlines. i do think that if you had 2 contollers you could get away with still running 2 trains if you so wish. or an extension lead run on the side of your layout to your favorite operating spot. just a thaught.

Tom

[mick]

I do have two controllers Tom. I use the Prodigy Advance 2 and one controller is connected to the base station by a short cable while the other is wireless and allows me to be anywhere in the garden 'wire free'. The wireless handheld transmits commands via a receiver that plugs into the base station but I find I get better communication by using an extension cable so that the receiver is actually outdoors with me rather than sitting in the shed. It works great and the wire free option is a real bonus in the garden - I can sit anywhere now and have full control of the layout.

As usual I haven't done all I had hoped to do today but I've done a little bit more which means there's just that little bit less to do. All the droppers are now soldered to the rails that form the approach junction at the viaduct end and I've wrapped the other ends of the droppers around the corresponding bus wires to test everything out. I've laid out some more track to give me the footprint for the station curve so that the tracks exit the rear of the shed at a point that allows them to go round the plastic shed behind.

Here's a photo taken earlier today showing the rear of the tunnel entrance - the opposite side being the viaduct. The single line splits into two, both of which will have a platform face. Each line then splits in two again, the additional roads will both become sidings or storage roads. The three sets of points are all Peco large radius electrofrog. The 2 points to the left will both have motors mounted beneath the baseboards. The points in front of the signal box will be operated by a motor that I adapted for above baseboard use on my old layout and this will be hidden within the signalbox building. The sections of cork beneath the track are just cork floor tiles which will be cut to shape once everything's working correctly.

The next photo is taken from in front of the signalbox looking in the opposite direction. The two lines are the main platform roads. The track was just laid loosely in position so that I could work out the size of the baseboard extension required for the track curvature at the far end of the shed. This extension was cut from 18mm plywood and fastened in place. Both the platform lines are now laid with wooden sleeper track and have been partly wired to the bus wires which run beneath the baseboards. 37417 has been up and down here a few times this evening but without the point motors and integral accessory switches wired in position the point frogs are unpowered. Oh - that's where I left my glasses!

[mick]

The plan of action for today is to get the platform tracks fully wired and soldered to the bus wires and to install the point(s) at the far end of the shed. This particular point has presented me with something of a dilemma. I've still not decided whether it will simply be :

1. A single point changing from double track back to single

2. Whether I should create a short spur/headshunt at that end and if it would ever be used if I did, or

3. Whether to plan for a continuation of double track running out of the rear of the shed.

Adding to the equation is the fact that a 12 feet long shed doesn't give you a lot of space to play with and even with just a single point installed it may have to be right at the far end meaning that the headshunt will have to extend through a tunnel opening to the exterior of the shed if I am to accommodate an 8-9 coach train. I really want to be able to run 8 coach trains into the platforms and be able to run another train round it. It's going to mean some careful measuring.

I was thinking yesterday about some lighting as the shed's pretty dark with just the 2 windows. Looking at the last 2 photos I'm wondering if a canopy over the entire station boards with lighting installed would be a good idea. The top of the canopy could then become additional storage space and it may even help keep the dust off. I've got plenty to do before I have to work that one out.

[traingeekboy]

Love those pics. That will be a really nice station. Can't wait to see it develop.

[mick]

Where's the day gone? I've not finished yet! I've got the platform tracks wired in but I haven't had time to do anything with the bottom set of points.

I've thought about the points some more and I would imagine that the majority of people would suggest going for the two-track option but I really like the idea of a single track entering and departing the station. If you remember, from the outset this was always going to be a single track preserved line and I still have that vision. I want a train to have to wait in the main station until another enters through the narrow tunnel opening and runs in alongside the opposite platform. The tunnel opening is the key for me. It's the knowledge that a train is imminent but you don't see it until it appears through the tunnel. Perhaps I'll enclose the rear of the tunnel so that there's no daylight shining through and then there'll be the lights of the loco to spot too. With two tracks I could sit back and watch the action like I did with my previous layout but with single track sections the layout will need to be operated.

I'm also thinking about platforms and what I need from them. Obviously the two main roads will be served by a platform each but should I add a bay platform? A bay would probably be a good idea for when I link up to the terminus station on the opposite wall of the shed - I could then run back and forth around the entire garden from terminus to bay platform and return.

[doublecee]

 

mick said:

Where's the day gone? I've not finished yet! I've got the platform tracks wired in but I haven't had time to do anything with the bottom set of points.

I've thought about the points some more and I would imagine that the majority of people would suggest going for the two-track option but I really like the idea of a single track entering and departing the station.

I think Single track will add to the operational joy of the entire project...

[mick]

 

doublecee said:

...I think Single track will add to the operational joy of the entire project...

I think one train at a time is about all I can handle these days!

How things have progressed. Here I am thinking about platforms and yet up to the 21st of last month I had no railway whatsoever. It feels like an eternity and yet during that time I've even built myself a masonry viaduct, something I thought I might never accomplish. I bemoan the days where I feel I've not done enough but simply adding the droppers to the platform tracks, as today, is a big step forward even though there's nothing that can actually be seen.

So yes, I've been looking at ways to build my platforms - something that's not too taxing on my brain. I'm not sure if I want to build my own or buy a proprietary product. If the platforms were straight I'd probably decide to build them myself, perhaps using 18mm timber faced with plasticard, but they're curved and I would need to be able to trace the outline onto my timber - something I'm not very good at. I like the look of the Peco platform sides and ramps to which you add your own top although they work out at about £4 per foot of platform. I might need to get out some paper and start tracing.

I mentioned some time ago that I had got hold of the Bachmann Scencraft Sheffield Park station buildings. I was going to use these on an outdoor station but I've now decided that the outdoor station will be a much less grand affair (though with sufficient platform length for 8-9 coaches) where a small waiting room would suffice. The Sheffield Park buildings will now be used as the main terminus station inside the shed

[littlecheritonngauge]

Don't get too influenced by different people, in the end it's your railway.

Matt

[mick]

 

littlecheritonngauge said:

Don't get too influenced by different people, in the end it's your railway...

But that's the whole idea of being a part of the forum. Of course, in the end it's my railway but it has little bits of everything that's influenced me since other members began commenting and offering their advice. That advice and the experiences of others has been invaluable. I've stuck to my main objectives, the railway is currently more or less as I initially intended it would be, but I've added things that were either a direct result of a comment received or some advice offered or were influenced by someone else's layout. I like to think that my layout and certainly it's progress is greatly influenced by being a part of this forum.

[doublecee]

 

mick said:

I like to think that my layout and certainly it's progress is greatly influenced by being a part of this forum.

I think that's true for all of us.

[traingeekboy]

I think the idea of going with an operational style rather than just roundy roundy is worth exploring. I had that in mind with mine when I wanted an over under, or else a crossing, but the layout has decided otherwise.

[mick]

Apologies from the outset for the lack of photos again today. I had intended adding several but I've just never got round to taking them and now not only is it getting too dark but I've got just about every tool imaginable out in the shed and I really can't be bothered clearing anything away tonight in order to get a few pictures. Here's what I've been up to in order of work.

All the track currently laid has now been connected to the bus wires. This is a major task as although the baseboard inside the shed is higher than on my previous layout it's still a very tight squeeze trying to work beneath the boards. I've got the bottom set of points in place and connected to the bus but they are unuseable until I cut a hole through the rear of the shed and extend the track outwards by the length of a locomotive (or two).

Most of the track along the two platforms has been ballasted BUT I really should have used the other side of the cork tiles, the one that has been SEALED The ballast has taken some fixing but I have used a different type of ballast this time so that may have something to do with it too. I've used a mixture of fine and medium Woodland Scenics which I think is made from ground nut shells? Perhaps it's the nuts that don't like the floor polish I've been trying to fix it down with. I'll report back on this tomorrow, successful or not.

I've even made a start on the first point motor but again, it's very difficult fastening anything under the baseboards. Firstly I soldered 6 short lengths of wires to the point motor and the opposite ends I have connected up to a terminal block strip. The terminal block will be fastened adjacent to the point motor and all the necessary connections from the power supply, track feed and frog switching can now be done by connecting to the terminal block strip. It also means a point motor can be changed more easily should it fail. There are currently two more point motors to install below the baseboards - I may decide to do all future ones above the boards due to the restricted space beneath.

I noticed today that a metre length of ballast on the outdoor line has been washed away by the rains. This is the section that received just one application of floor polish fixative and probably an insufficient one at that. The main area of ballast around the curve has withstood the rain but this has had more than one application of polish.

[traingeekboy]

Did you dilute the glue with water and a few drops of soap?